1st Peter Chapter Four
1
Peter 4:1 (All
verses from the English Standard Version)
Since
therefore Christ suffered
in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the
flesh has ceased from sin,
A LIFE OF HOLINESS
Jesus suffered and left an example for us: Be ready to suffer in the flesh… this is our legacy. To prepare yourself you need to change the way you have viewed the world concerning innocent suffering. The world abhors pain and suffering. We've got pills and drugs and mindsets all designed to take away or ease the pain and suffering. Because it hurts we think pain and suffering are bad. In and of itself it has no spiritual value unless accompanied by conviction and direction! We are to endure the treatment Jesus received in this world being mindful of God that His name may be glorified even amongst unbelievers as we suffer for our faith!
· Don’t seek comfort – seek to be a blessing
· Don’t look for the easy way out – do the right thing
· Don’t look out for yourself only – seek to glorify God with your family and resources
Philippians 2:5ff ESV Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did
not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of
a servant, being born in the likeness of men…
The fact that you allow your flesh to suffer being mindful of God and to the glory of Jesus, prevents sin from taking hold of you – because you are not giving in to the passions of the flesh but choosing to serve God! It is a sign of rising above the temptations of the flesh and answering the upward call in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:14)! That is why you cease from sinning in that regard because your mind is focused on serving God. In Christ we already are dead to sin (Rom 6:11), so we must live above it. We live a life dead to sin, not free of sin (1 John 1:8-10).
Since Christ by his death is legally free from sin, the Christian, having died in Christ, is one with him and legally free as well from the penalty of sin. We are no longer bound by its penalty; in practice we must strive to be free from its power. – New Commentary on the Whole Bible
If you stumble, though, then you are not done with that sin, it still wants to hold onto you and you must master it! This is not a new concept, but since the time of Cain God himself gave that advice:
Genesis 4:6-7 ESV The LORD said to Cain, "Why are you
angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be
accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but
you must rule over it."
Rather than giving into sin and continue to be enslaved by it, we ought to deny the flesh – the consequent suffering indicating we are done with it! it has no hold on us!
1
Peter 4:2
so as to
live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.
The suffering Peter is talking about now is not limited to suffering at the hands of someone else, as we discussed in the last two chapters. This is the lifetime of suffering we've volunteered for in the name of Jesus as we deny the flesh and carry our crosses.
He who has shared Christ's cross is no longer alive to the pull of sin through the ordinary human desires, but is alive only to the pull of the will of God! – Coffman
We no longer live to:
· Have better homes to live in
· Have better cars to drive
· Satisfy our fleshly pleasure
· Have more things to own
· Be more comfortable
· Have easier lives
We live for the will of God:
· To be used to bring blessings to others
· To use the resources God has given us to help others
· To use our time to bring blessing
· To use our lives to speak in God's name
We no longer should consciously desire and live to sin, since we left that kind of life to follow Jesus. Yes, we still make mistakes since we are not perfect, but our whole will is to follow God. In Christ, we should be done with the temptations that plague those who live for the flesh! We ought to be growing and maturing if we are constantly feeding on God's word and depending on our Lord for everything through prayer. This is why the encouragement is given:
Hebrews 12:1-3 ESV Therefore, since we are surrounded by so
great a cloud of witnesses, let
us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the
race that is set before us, 2 looking
to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy
that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated
at the right hand of the throne of God. 3
Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so
that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
If you are still clinging on to sin you won't be able to run – you will be hindered in your growth as a plant is choked by the thorns and prevented from growing strong by rocky soil (Matthew 13: 18-23).
Peter will get more specific as to how we live for the will of God and how we no longer live for human passions.
1
Peter 4:3
For the time
that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in
sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless
idolatry.
In the past you lived for your passions. You did not know better. You thought that was what life was all about. You spent enough time doing that!
· Living in sensuality (debauchery, promiscuousness, sexual sins) – you delighted in pornography, any picture or joke that had sexual overtones or connotations, or any flirting or touching that excited your senses.
· Pursuing your passions (lusts, sinful desires) – you got what you wanted, at any cost, just to satisfy your flesh, ego or wallet. You just had to have it when your eyes were filled of it.
· Getting drunk – you loved dulling your senses with any available drug as well as comforting your flesh. You just did not want to accept reality!
· Getting into orgies (reveling) – usually connected to the worship of false gods: a nocturnal and riotous procession of half drunken and frolicsome fellows who after supper parade through the streets with torches and music in honor of Bacchus or some other deity, and sing and play before houses of male and female friends; hence used generally of feasts and drinking parties that are protracted till late at night and indulge in revelry. Perhaps you didn’t do it in honor of an unknown deity, but worse, for a cause you knew nothing of or cared nothing for (maybe fraternities?) other than just being a party to foolishness and nonsense. All you wanted was to fill your flesh with pleasure.
· Getting wild at drinking and eating parties (carousing) – all about filling the flesh to even greater extent. These highlight gluttony, which should not be the purpose of the fellowships of the church. In the church we do not gather for the sake of food that perishes, but for the food that endures, Jesus Christ. These feasts and banquets were all for the purpose of filling up your flesh to no end. I am reminded of those cruise ships where food and eating and entertainment all seem to be the goal. Perhaps this is modern day carousing!
· Becoming a lawless (detestable) idolater – you were an idolater, a worshipper of self, a believer in false gods. To be an idolater is to be an image worshipper. Whose image do we worship now more than ever? If you don’t worship your own you worship someone else’s. We have ended up worshipping people since we only believe in what we see. In this state you represented everything that is wrong with our country and our world, yet you pointed the finger at everyone else.
Just on a historical note, this verse shows that Peter most likely was addressing Gentile Christians, since the Jews would not by nature join in the lifestyle of the Gentile.
With respect
to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of
debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and
the dead.
Because you have decided to live above sin since you have died to it, Satan will use your worldly friends and family to mock you and get you back in to your old ways. That, of course, won't work with tried and true disciples. Nevertheless, Satan just does it for the fun of it. He did it to Jesus so we should not expect any less and just be ready for it – preparing our minds for action and arming ourselves with the mindset of Jesus.
Jude 1:14-15 NIV Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied
about these men: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of
his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of
all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh
words ungodly sinners have spoken against him."
Perhaps the greatest satisfaction we can derive from such mockery and taunting, however slight it may be to however abusive, is knowing that it proves we are right and they are wrong. It proves it to God and the whole of creation: “This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved--and that by God.” – Phil 1:28 NIV
Matthew 5:11-12 ESV "Blessed are you
when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against
you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for
so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
This is why we do not retaliate nor seek to justify ourselves in the eyes of men. God will judge them and they even know it. We pray our love and devotion eventually convince them to turn to God and be saved.
2 Timothy 2:24-26 ESV And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind
to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness.
God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape
from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
The new life-style of careful, godly living is an open condemnation of the values of a pagan society in every age. – Believer’s Study Bible
This kind of soft persecution becomes our ally in preaching the Gospel as Peter declares in the next verse.
1
Peter 4:6
For this is
why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in
the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.
Peter mentions those who have gone ahead of us into the glory of paradise. The Gospel served them by releasing them from the coming judgment that they may live in the spirit just like God. So although they may be dead in the flesh, having suffered earthly and sinful judgment in the flesh, now they live in the spirit! They reached their goal in the faith! The Gospel was given to us to save us from the sin that corrupts the flesh, why should we continue to feed it?
We want to reach the same end as those who went before us – let us keep persevering and letting God use us as we live for Him and continue to die to sin in Jesus. The suffering, whether at the hand of others or because of denial of the flesh, is our reminder that we choose life in the spirit over death!
1
Peter 4:7
The end of
all things is at hand; therefore
be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.
Discipline is necessary for my prayer life, my communication with my Father, to flourish. No wonder I didn’t feel like praying when I had indulged in the flesh! I felt dirty and not worthy of standing before my Lord! That's why I need to be clear minded. Minded about the spiritual things and not deceived by the world and myself.
These two hindrances Satan often uses to stop me from being on my knees before the throne of God. Satan knows just how to knock my confidence! I must not give in to the desires of the flesh or be lead by them. Self-control comes by being in step with the Spirit and the things of the Kingdom.
When I follow my heart I am an extremist. Self-control, a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), allows me to reap peace of mind and dependence on God. – Pedro Gelabert, 1995
The end is coming soon. Remember your life here is temporary. Don’t get hung on your material and worldly life. You gave it up when you died with Christ for better promises!
1 Corinthians 7:29-31 ESV 29 This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown
very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they
had none, 30 and those who mourn as though they were not
mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those
who buy as though they had no goods, 31 and those
who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world
is passing away.
Don’t let your marriage, your sorrows, your joys, your things and your worldly dealings be your focus. Remember that anything that has to do with this life will be gone shortly. Give all your heart, soul mind and strength to the Lord and his work and then your marriage, challenges, triumphs, resources and business will be a glory to God, all allies in your efforts to preach the Gospel to those who are dead in the spirit.
Any of these things can cause you to lose your self control if they become your center of attention. These things can cause you to lose your sobriety and even your efficacy before God's throne in prayer. I believe this passage in Ecclesiastes clearly illustrates how your prayer life can get wrecked by foolishness:
Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 ESV Guard your steps when you go to the house of
God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not
know that they are doing evil. 2 Be not rash with your mouth, nor
let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven
and you are on earth. Therefore
let your words be few. 3 For a dream
comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words.
4
When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no
pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. 5 It is better
that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the
messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice
and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For when
dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.
Jesus similarly repeated:
Matthew 5:33-37 ESV "Again you have
heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall
perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' 34 But I say to you, Do
not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for
it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an
oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be
simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil.
This means:
1- Don’t justify yourself in the eyes of man
2- Don’t take yourself more seriously than your anointing in Christ
a. It’s not about you
b. It’s about the Gospel
c. It’s about saving others from the fire to come
3- Listen well before speaking
4- When you speak
a. Be thankful
b. Glory God
c. Say “yes” or “no”
d. Speak the oracles of God
5- Let your actions do most of your talking
1
Peter 4:8
Above all,
keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
We really need to learn and understand and practice love. We need to be gracious and merciful and let a deep love develop in us for one another and for the lost. Love and mercy triumph over sin and judgment. God's love got us out of our bind and the only way we will continue on the path of righteousness is by giving love and mercy and exalting God's graciousness in our lives by accepting suffering, whether at someone else’s hands or our own fasting from worldly things. It was the awesome love of God that has been able to cover the multitude of my sins, so I must let this love overflow into the lives of others, especially those who wrong me.
Love covers a multitude of sins…
· Restore those you love. – James 5:19-20
· If we love our brother we won't keep a record of wrongs. – Proverbs 10:12; 1 Co13:5
· God's love covers a multitude of sins. – Psalm 32:1
· Love and mercy towards others covers our own sins. – James 2:12-13
This is why we choose to not respond to things the way the world would and why we deny the flesh. We want to exalt Jesus in everything we do that His name be glorified in all we say and do.
It cannot be just an act, although in the beginning you may do it for the sake of knowing what is right and wrong, but it has to develop into something you thirst for doing earnestly.
Paying back wrong for wrong only increases sin and wickedness. The only effective way to stop it is by being holy in our love – following the steps of Jesus toward the cross.
1
Peter 4:9
Show
hospitality to one another
without grumbling.
When you seek to love one another earnestly you won't grumble about it. Grumbling comes from a sense of obligation, but earnest love looks beyond obligation to owing love out of God's lavish love poured out on you. He who loves always welcomes people into his home, seeking to serve them and show them the love of God.
Christian hospitality helped spread the Gospel in the first century since there really were no hotels back then and the available inns were places of much sin and corruption. Evangelists and missionaries like Paul, Barnabas and Silas traveled abroad and stayed with Christian families and friends of Christians. Also remember Peter is speaking to those who had been displaced by persecution, leaving their homes and possessions behind; probably never seeing them again. Where would they go? Often they sought out places where other Christians were staying. Since there were no church buildings where Christians met, the practice of hospitality also made it possible for the house churches to exist. This would come at a cost to whoever the host was, which is why hospitality was encouraged for everyone to practice, being that we will be welcomed into heaven at the expense of Jesus!
Those who grumble in serving are not thankful, and those who are not thankful think they are deserving of something. Well, the only thing we are deserving of is punishment for our sin and wickedness! But thanks be to God He overlooked that and offered eternal life through His Son! In the same way we need to overlook the imperfections in this life. After all, where do you get the idea that things ought to work in your favor? Who made you that promise, you presumptuous person?
1
Peter 4:10
As each has received a gift,
use it to serve one
another, as
good stewards of God's varied grace:
The Christian who realizes how much he has been given by God delights in sharing and blessing everyone with these gifts. He joyously seeks to serve and bless with his newfound freedoms and blessings. And let me add the poor widow as our primary example to follow in this (Luke 21:1-4). She didn’t say, “When I have enough for me I will share it with others.” No, she gave all she had because she was blessed! She didn’t need anything to know she was blessed because she knew she had God's favor! That’s how it is with God's true children! Anyone can give out of their excess but holy giving means giving it all.
And we are not without gifts to give, since the Spirit teaches us we have all received at least one gift in Christ. You may not have found it or know about it perhaps because you are grumbling, or fault finding, or have a desire to retaliate. But be sure of this – you have a gift if you are in Christ! God has given us responsibilities with these gifts:
1- We are God's stewards
a. These gifts are God's.
b. He wants us to enjoy them and be blessed by them
c. He wants these gifts to bless others
d. God's blessings are distributed by how we share our blessings
2- We ought to serve others
a. The gifts are not for us alone
b. The gifts are meant to be shared
c. To minister means to wait upon
d. Whether you think your gift is small or large it is to be shared
e. Sharing when you have little will ensure you share when you have a lot!
3- We administer God's grace
a. God's grace is manifold (many shaded or many colored)
b. Sins are manifold
c. His grace expressed through our love covers manifold sins
d. This is how we wage war against the dark forces of evil!
e. This is how we undo their dirty deeds!
1
Peter 4:11
whoever speaks, as one who speaks
oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies--in
order that in everything
God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and
dominion forever and ever. Amen.
These are some gifts we've been given for the express purpose of serving others (Rom 12:6-7). This is how we are to be good stewards of God's varied grace. All the gifts can be summarized into two things Christians do:
1- Speak the words of God
a. In preaching
b. In encouraging
c. Not holding back truth
d. Not halfway
2- Serving with the strength God supplies
a. In hospitality
b. In showing mercy cheerfully
c. In contributing generously
The aim of using these gifts in our service to others is to glorify and magnify the name of Jesus, because all the glory and honor go to Him!
1
Peter 4:12
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you,
as though something strange were happening to you.
SUFFER AS A CHRISTIAN
Although Peter probably refers to the persecutions already begun by Nero at the time of this writing, where Christians were burned at the stake, these fiery trials also apply to those who live a faithful life in Christ Jesus in today’s day and age (2 Tim 3:12).
It is the faithful Christian who will be persecuted – not the Christian who compromises with the world. – World Video Bible School Commentary
We ought to be ready for these trials and not be surprised by them. These trials are to test our faith. Peter already made mention of that in the first chapter. Our faith must be tested because it is worth more than anything in this world! It is what will bring you into eternal life with the Lord!
The Spirit’s encouragement is to not be surprised and to not think that what is happening is strange. Our reaction in faith should not be:
1- I can't believe this is happening!
2- Am I the only one going through such things?!
3- Why me, why me?!
4- We are not o think of ourselves as victims of circumstance, as if we didn’t have hope or as if God was not taking care of us.
a. These are faithless responses
b. These are worldly responses